Small scale farming is making a resurgence in urban and suburban areas as a growing number of people seek organic alternatives for their dietary needs and educational tools for children in learning about sustainable living. One such example is the increasing number of chicken coops that are being constructed and tended by urban dwelling families. In many cases, several families will form a partnership for the sole purpose of acquiring and attending to a small flock of chickens. A primary reason behind the joint cooperation is the sharing of eggs produced by the chickens. While the ultimate result of consuming freshly laid eggs is the obvious objective, the reality of attending to the flock, and collecting and cleaning the eggs in particular, often requires more time than is available to a part time chicken farmer. Additionally, freshly laid eggs are often contaminated with chicken droppings and other matter that one expects in a chicken coop (e.g., dirt, blood, yolk). Many of these contaminants can be dangerous to humans if consumed. For this reason, cleaning eggs that are freshly obtained from a hen is an important step that must occur.
Typical methods that are available to a small scale farmer for cleaning eggs include dry cleaning the eggs with an abrasive material (e.g., sand paper, abrasive sponge, loofah). This method is often preferred because it preserves the egg's natural antibacterial coating (i.e., the bloom). For some particularly dirty eggs, however, dry cleaning is insufficient and a wet cleaning method is preferred. Wet cleaning methods typically include rinsing the eggs with running water and then using a towel to dry them. The eggs can then be sanitized with a spray mixture of diluted bleach. Wet cleaning methods can also include soaking eggs in a cleansing solution (i.e., water with yeast, citric acid and potassium sorbate) for a few minutes. Other soaking and sanitizing solutions can also be used.
The proposed Egg Cleansing Towelette can provide the benefits of both dry and wet cleaning methods in a self-contained product.